This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Exploding foil initiators, and more specifically the low energy exploding foil initiators (LEEFI's) pioneered by Reynolds Systems, Incorporated of Middletown, Calif., represent an evolutionary step in the design of igniters and detonators due to their improved reliability and safety. It is desirable in some instances to include switch capabilities with a LEEFI to provide further enhancements in safety. Heretofore, such switch capabilities have been provided either with a stand-alone switch device or a switch device that is integrated into the LEEFI in the manner shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,851,370 and 873,122.
The use of a stand-alone switch device is not typically desirable as such devices tend to be relatively costly and more importantly, because such devices are typically difficult to package into the device that is to be ignited or detonated. The devices detailed in the '370 and '122 patents are somewhat less costly, but can significantly increase the space (area) that is needed to package the LEEFI into the device that is to be ignited or detonated. In some instances, it is simply not possible to increase the size of the “foot print” of the LEEFI to incorporate the switching capabilities that are described in the '370 and '122 patents. Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for an improved LEEFI having integrated switch capabilities.